Forever and Always
by AshTMI17
Summary: Jace and Clary met when they were 6 years old. They are best friends. Watch them grow up together and see where their relationship leads.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: I do not own the characters, just the plot! **

1996

Clary POV

I couldn't stop crying, and I wasn't entirely sure why. It's not like I had any friends in Florida anyway. People never seemed to accept me when they found out my last name. The other kids thought I was weird, with my flaming red hair and small frame. And their parents always got the same look on their faces when my mom introduced herself – a mixture of admiration and fear. I knew what they were thinking. My dad was a scary guy. He was powerful, rich, and intimidating. My family had been on the Miami social and business scenes for decades, but my dad was the ruthless one. He had a reputation - he would walk all over whoever he had to in order to make a buck. I always heard people saying that my grandpa would be rolling over in his grave if they saw how he handled his business. I knew all that about my dad, but I didn't care. He was the best daddy ever, and I was his little girl. He gave me everything I ever asked for and I was truly a princess. Too bad the other kindergarteners didn't agree with me. I was a lonely kid. I can't say I was unhappy being the spoiled, beloved only child of Valentine and Jocelyn Morgenstern. I was proud to be me and happy with my life, with being Clarissa Adele Morgenstern. But I was still lonely.

So why was I so sad to leave Florida? Why was the idea of moving to Washington, D.C. so terrifying for me? The only people I loved were there with me. I couldn't stop questioning why I was crying as I curled up on the window seat in my bedroom. It was raining outside, and the movers had just left. The house was beautiful. It had belonged to my grandparents. It was a three floor historic row house, with six bedrooms and 8 bathrooms. It had a rooftop deck and awesome pool. I could get used to it, I guess. It was totally different than my house in Miami. It wasn't beach front. There were no palm trees outside. But it was beautiful. My mom and daddy made sure that my room was perfect. I had a huge canopy bed covered with a bright pink comforters. My walls were cream colored and the wall that had my delicate white desk against it had bright pink flowers painted on it. The hardwood floors were cold, I would have to ask mom for a rug. I could definitely get used to my walk in closet and bathroom, they were way bigger than the one at home. But this wasn't home. Not yet. I cuddled with my teddy bear and absently stared into the window of the row house next door. The room I looked into was empty and dark.

I must have fallen asleep, because it was suddenly three in the afternoon. As I opened my eyes, I saw that it had finally stopped raining and the light in the bedroom next door was finally on. It looked like it was a boy's room. It wasn't pink, and there were sports trophies and pictures all over. It was so cool. "Clary, can you come down here?" My mom's voice ringing from downstairs snapped me back from my fascination with the room. I took the stairs two by two and met my mom at the bottom of the steps. There was another woman there that looked like she was as old as my mom. She smiled at me, "Hello, you must be Clary. I'm Maryse, I live next door with my family." She seemed nice and had the sweetest smile, so I flashed my bright smile back and said, "It's so nice to meet you. I'm Clary. I'm six and going into first grade in the fall!" She giggled and we walked into the family room, me, holding my mom's hand, leading the way.

As we walked in, I heard whispers coming from the couch. I walked around to the front of the couch and two kids popped up and screamed "BOO!" I jumped and my mom chuckled. "Mommy, they scared me," was all I could stutter out as I ran to her. Suddenly, the girl walked closer to me and said, "Hi, I'm Isabelle. But don't call me that, I think my mom was crazy naming me that. I prefer Izzy. I live next door! I didn't mean to scare you, Alec thought it would be fun." She was taller than me, but thin just like me. She had long, stick straight black hair and matching black eyes. She seemed really sorry, so I smiled at her, saying, "it's okay, it was actually pretty funny. I just wasn't expecting it. I'm Clary." The boy, who looked a lot like Izzy but with short black hair and bright blue eyes, stood up. "I'm Alec, Izzy's older brother," he mumbled shyly. I smiled at him and asked if they wanted to watch a movie. We started watching The Lion King while my mom walked Maryse around the house. A few minutes later, a blonde kid came storming in the door. "Izzy, Alec, Mom, where are you? You forced me here and then you're not even here anymore? Come on, I had to leave Seb's to come here!" he screamed.

I jumped up and ran to the entrance area. "Who are you and what are you doing in my house?" I screamed before looking up to see his face. I was stunned. I didn't know people could look like that, especially kids. He was golden. Literally. His hair was shaggy and gold colored. His eyes looked like gold too. And he was staring at me. As I was admiring him, and he was staring at me, my mom walked in. "You must be Jace" she said as he started nodding his head. "Clary," she said, turning to me, "this is Izzy's twin, Jace. He and Izzy are your age, isn't that cool? Jace, this is my daughter, Clary." She paused briefly, but I just stood there. Then she said "come on kids, your mom and I prepared some snacks for you all." We followed her into the kitchen and each took a seat on a stool at the kitchen island. Chips, dip, carrots, strawberries and peanut butter covered celery were all laid out for us. Immediately, the four of us dug in. An hour of silence latter, Maryse said they had to go home and they walked towards the door. As they were leaving, Izzy asked me if I could visit her house tomorrow, and my mom shook her head yes. I was really excited. Maybe I would finally have a friend!

A few hours later, after unpacking, eating dinner, bathing, and having story time with daddy, I was all tucked into my big bed, trying to sleep. I heard a faint noise coming from outside. I turned on my bedside table and darted to my window seat, then I opened my window. The light in the bedroom next door was on, and Jace was poking his head out the window with a handful of little rocks in his hand. He saw me and started climbing out his window. I gasped as he climbed quickly onto a close tree, balancing all the way across until he reached my window and climbed inside. "Jace, what are you doing? You could have died!" I exclaimed, a little too loudly. "Shhhh, you're gonna wake your parents. Don't worry, I've done this a hundred times before, my best friend used to live here." I couldn't help but notice the sadness in his voice. He continued, "I'm sorry I was rude earlier, I just really didn't want to leave my friend Sebastian's house. And I was mad that you guys moved into John's house. He was my best friend. But you're nice, so I was thinking we could be best friends now!" I started giggling, saying, "But you're a boy…" and he interrupted, "you're a girl. So? We can still be friends." I thought for a minute, before I smiled my brightest smiled and said, "I've never had a best friend before! This is so cool!" We decided to make a fort and fell asleep inside of it until morning. When we heard my mom calling me for breakfast in the morning, he got up, smiled brightly, and climbed back out my window. I couldn't stop smiling all day. I had a best friend named Jace and suddenly Washington, D.C. didn't seem so bad.


	2. Chapter 2

2000

Clary POV

"Cherry, you're taking to longggg," Jace whined as he waited for me in my room. I was in my closet, trying to find my pink backpack to take with me to the tree house. Finally, I found it and squealed with delight. I ran back to my bed, stuffed the blanket, juice boxes, and cheese sandwiches into the bag while Jace grabbed his bag and started climbing out my window into the big tree that connected our rooms and held a big tree house. Our dads had built it for us one weekend, knowing how much we loved the tree. Jace Lightwood was my best friend and he had been for four years. He was funny and smart and we always had tons of fun together. Izzy, Jace's twin, was my other best friend but I wasn't as close to her as I was to Jace. I really felt like he was my other half. We loved to go swimming, play games, and hang out in our tree house, like we were doing tonight. We would camp out and watch the stars all night, talking about school, our friends, and our families. Sometimes Izzy came too, but I couldn't help but admit that I always had more fun without her.

I remembered my first few months in DC. Jace would come over every day and play. Once school started, he and I would take turns getting rides to school together. He introduced me to all his friends and I really felt like he cared. Soon, we were spending every waking moment together, just hanging out, playing video games, and talking. I must have looked like I was thinking about something, because Jace suddenly snapped me out of my happy memories. "Cherry, are you okay? You look funny." I giggled at the nickname he gave me when we were seven and sighed. "Yeah, Jace. I'm fine. Just thinking." I yawned, unable to control the exhaustion I felt. We had been playing all day and I was tired. Out of nowhere, my dad's head popped out of my window and he just smiled at us. He whispered, "I guess you guys are sleeping in there tonight, huh? Well, I'll see you tomorrow for breakfast. Night Clare-bear. Night Jace." Once we were alone again, Jace and I snuggled together under the blankets and fell asleep.

Jace POV

Cherry was a funny girl. She was so girly – her room was pink, just like Izzy's. She wore skirts all the time. Yet, she loved doing what I liked. We went swimming. We dug for buried treasure in the park. We went to Union Station and watched the trains when we knew our dads were coming back from their business trips. We were inseparable and I liked it that way. She and Izzy were the only girls I cared about. It was easy. Our parents were best friends and my dad was her dad's second in command at his company. Izzy, Cherry and I were the three musketeers. Alec was older than us and he had his own friends. But they didn't matter. My other friends didn't even really matter. If I had to choose between them and Cherry, it wouldn't even be a choice, I would climb through her window every time. Even Izzy fell off my radar sometimes, and I always felt guilty. She was my sister after all. But Clary was number one. She was my best friend and always would be.

Tonight, we were camping out in our tree house. I remember how we had to beg our dads for weeks until they finally decided it was a good idea and built it for us. And I remember Alec telling me how silly it was that we were going to sleep outside when we had perfectly good beds nearby. But being out here with Cherry it was like we were the only two people in the world. We would just look up at the stars, laugh and talk. I personally thought it was the best thing ever. Spending time with Cherry always brought a smile to my face. She was the one person I could talk to about everything. And she was always with him.


	3. Chapter 3

2005

Clary POV

My whole life was changing. I was going to start 10th grade on Monday with Jace and Izzy. Me and Izzy were super close. I thought of her as my sister. Then there was Jace. Things with him were… complicated. I wanted him to be my best friend, like he had been forever. But he wasn't the same Jace. He was a football player. He was cool and rich and funny and gorgeous. The girls liked him and the guys wanted to be him. Suddenly, I wasn't the center of the universe to him. And I can't say I liked that feeling. He was still my friend, but our relationship was changing. He and his "guys" were always busy. Izzy and I had our own friends from cheerleading and dance. We were in different worlds most of the time. But I couldn't seem to get him out of my mind.

Izzy and I were walking in Dupont Circle, only a couple blocks away from our houses. The city was abuzz with activity and we loved being a part of the excitement. All the sudden, Izzy pulled me into a store, screaming "Oh em gee Clary, you've GOT to try on this dress!" I finally saw what she had in her hand, a short, ruffled, strapless dress. Over the summer, I'd grown some curves. I had a butt now and my boobs weren't too bad either. I was still thin, but now it was from exercise and cheerleading, and it was toned and muscular, not a stick like before. I shook my head, grabbed the dress from Izzy, and went into the dressing room. After I slid the dress onto my body, I couldn't help but admit that it looked good. I walked out of the room, but Izzy was nowhere to be found. Suddenly, I heard someone whistle loudly. I turned around, lost my balance, and slammed right into Jace. Oh my god, I slammed into Jace! "Cherry, you look good" he whispered into my ear as he helped me keep my balance. I pulled away, looking for Izzy. Jace chimed in. "Izzy went over to meet some guys, she said to say she would be right back. Apparently they are friends with you guys," he said, with a weird tone in his voice. Was he jealous? No, Jace Lightwood doesn't get jealous. "But, you are definitely getting that dress, Cherry, you look beyond beautiful," he whispered. Just as I was going to tell him to stop calling me Cherry, that we weren't kids anymore, I saw Izzy.

"Clary, that dress looks awesome!" Izzy screamed as she darted to the back of the store, there was a group of guys following her. I recognized them as some guys from middle school. Simon was there. He was an awesome guy, so sweet. I thought him and Izzy would be great together, so I was constantly trying to get them together. As Jace started talking to the group, I looked down, realizing that I was in a tiny dress, and ran to change. A few minutes later, I emerged in my tight jeans, a black tank top, and black ballet flats. As I came out, I saw Raph, short for Raphael, a good friend of Izzy and myself. I'd had a little crush on him last year, but I think it was over. "So, how was tennis camp, Raph?" I asked nonchalantly. "It was good. I had fun, but I missed you," he replied with a wink. He put his arm around my shoulders and we walked back to the group. Izzy was leaving with Simon, something about going to see a movie with him before school started and that she would text me later. The rest of the guys started to leave too, and soon it was just Jace, Raph, and me. It was awkward, especially since Jace was glaring at Raph's arm around my shoulders. If looks could kill, Raph would be dead and buried. Raph turned to me, sliding his arm away from me, and asked if I wanted to hang out. Seeing the look on Jace's face, I just couldn't leave him alone. I politely declined and said I would see him at school tomorrow. He kissed my cheek and left.

As soon as Raph was gone, I went to pay for my dress, knowing Jace would follow me. He was being quiet. Too quiet. It was scaring me. I paid for the dress and we walked home in peace, but without conversation. As we got to my door, I turned to him, "Do you wanna go swimming with me?" I asked, completely surprising myself. "Sure," he said and he slowly walked to his door. I ran upstairs, knowing my parents were out of town so I didn't need to greet anyone. I slipped into my hot pink bikini. It was cute, and skimpy. I absolutely loved it, and the boys in Mexico seemed to like it when I was there for my vacation. I couldn't help but show off my body for Jace. I grabbed my sunglasses and a towel and darted up to the roof. I knew Jace would just let himself in my house – he still had the key I gave him years ago. I slid my sunglasses on, dropped the towel, and slowly entered into the water. I felt strange. Was I nervous? Nervous to hang out alone with Jace? That was weird. He was my best friend. Sure, things were different now. We were in high school now, not six years old. But it was still Jace. I had always been able to keep my feelings for him in check. What seemed like second later, Jace came storming through the door and did a cannon ball into the pool. My thoughts were gone, and I squealed as Jace picked me up, threw my sunglasses to the side of the pool and tossed me into the water. Then we were just laughing and splashing – enjoying our last hours of freedom before school started again. And it felt like the good old days again, just me and Jace.

Jace PO

As soon as I saw my Cherry in that dress, I was gone. All I could think about was her fire red hair. Her green eyes. He beautiful curves and her soft laugh. I couldn't help but compliment her on that dress, it really was something. She was no longer the small, thin little girl that she had been. She was a woman now, and I couldn't help but see her differently. Whenever I saw her, I had to fight an internal struggle between being friends with my little Cherry and being in love with the grown up Clary. Wait, love? No, Jace Lightwood doesn't do love. I do girlfriends, who I promptly dump when they get boring. But Cherry is different. I can never stop thinking about her. And that's why I had to stay away from her! She was too good, and I could never give her friendship up. Yet, here I was, in her pool laughing and hanging out with her in her tiny pink bikini. God, she was gorgeous. Suddenly, without my control, my hand grabbed hers and dragged her closer to me. I felt her bare skin on mine and every spot where we touched was on fire. Her eyes sparkled and she just stared at me. I know she felt the shot of electricity just like I did, and we both shivered.

We stood there like that for what seemed like hours, just staring into each others eyes. Before I knew it, I was pulling her closer and slamming my lips to hers. At first, it was chaste. Then, something changed. She pushed me against the wall of the pool, wrapping her hands around my neck. I pressed harder against her mouth, eliciting a sigh from her. I have never wanted a girl the way I wanted her. She knew all of my deep, dark secrets. She knew I sucked my thumb until I was seven and that I had a crush on Mrs. Martin, our sixth grade homeroom teacher. She knew me. Her hands starting sliding over my naked chest and we broke apart to breathe. I began to kiss her neck, she moaned and slid her hands all over my body. I grinded into her, my hips skimming along her hips. We groaned in unison, passion overcoming us both. All of the sudden, she pulled away. She was shaking. "Jace, this can't happen," she mumbled as she rushed out of the pool. "We can't do this. You're my best friend. This can't happen." She burst into tears, telling me to go home as she ran. I was stunned, but I did what she asked.

Later that night, sitting on my bed, I couldn't help but stare into her window and I saw her writing in her journal. She looked peaceful. I had to talk to her. I had to explain. I climbed out the window and walked across the tree, just like I did when we were kids. I banged on the window and chuckled as she jumped. She saw that it was me and unlocked the window. I climbed in and sat on her window seat. She didn't say anything, just sat back on her bed and looked at me – she had definitely been crying, her eyes were red and bloodshot. "I'm sorry," I mumbled, hoping she could hear me. Finally, I heard a tearful "me too." I walked over to her bed slowly, giving her the chance to tell me not to. But she didn't. I sat next to her and grabbed her hand. "You're right, we are best friends. I don't know what's wrong with me. Please, can we just go back to being Jace and Cherry, us against the world?" I pleaded, hopeful that she would allow me to be her friend again, like we were when we were little. "I'd like that," she smiled her radiant smile and laid down with her hand still in mine. We fell asleep curled up together. I had to be her friend. I couldn't lose her over these stupid feelings. I loved her.


	4. Chapter 4

2006

Jace POV

God, being in love is awful. Especially when you were in love with your best friend. My mind still wandered to that kiss last year, in Clary's pool. The softness of her skin touching mine. The warmth that I felt in my bones. How right it felt. I could never get it out of my mind, as much as I tried. It was even worse because of Raph – her… boyfriend… of ten months. Suddenly, she didn't want to hang out anymore. She couldn't go to the movies with me, she had a date. She was busy this weekend, hanging out with Raph. Her world no longer revolved around me and I hated it. She knows me better than anyone – how could she not see how desperate I am? I even started calling her Clary again, for the first time in years, and she didn't notice. My only salvation is that Raph doesn't seem to mind how affectionate I was with her. I guess she finally convinced him it meant nothing, that we were best friends, practically siblings. It made me sick thinking about it. So how did I deal? By being immature and dating any girl I could. I was trying to hurt her as much as she hurt me.

I am good looking, and I've always known it. I am the king of this school. I can't even count the number of girls I've hooked up with since she started dating _him_. So, today, when I got to Clary's car and Raph was in my seat, I simply turned around and walked to my driveway, climbing into my Mercedes. I pulled into the parking lot next to Lucy's car. Lucy was sitting inside of it – I guess she was waiting for me. She seems to have a thing for me, and I decided that morning I was going to use that. She was hot and Clary hated her. Perfect. Clary was waiting for me as I pulled up, I guess Raph went to go meet his friends. Instead of running right up to her like usual, I waited for Lucy, bringing her hand to my lips as a seductive greeting. I didn't let go of her hand as we walked into school, passing Clary without acknowledging her. I whispered to Lucy, "I'll save you a seat at lunch, hun," and kissed her on the cheek as we parted to go to class. Clary saw the whole thing and I knew it.

When we got into biology, I sat at our table as usual. Clary sat down beside me, silent. Izzy and Simon sat in front of us, babbling on about Star Wars as they unloaded their books. Clary looked great, I can't deny that. She was wearing light wash jean cut offs, a low cut, flowy white shirt, and flip flops. Her curly red hair was flowing and her makeup was natural. Even in her most casual clothes, she was stunning. As I was looking at her, she turned her head to me. "Oh, so now that little Ms. Slut isn't around, you recognize your best friend?" Okay, she was clearly angry! I couldn't help but laugh. "Really, Clary? You've barely seen me in months and you're upset that I don't want to just sit there like a sad puppy waiting for you to come back to me?" I couldn't help the shout-whisper that came out of my mouth. She looked almost guilty. And broken. She looked really broken. Suddenly, it wasn't worth it. I needed her to be her happy self. The teacher started lecturing, but we were busy staring at each other.

By the time lunch came around, I couldn't take it. She was so sad. Did I do that? After telling Izzy we would be late to lunch, I pulled her out of history, dragging her to an empty classroom to talk. "What the hell?" She didn't sound thrilled to be alone with me. I responded calmly, "You're upset. This isn't just about Lucy. I've dated tons of girls and you never seemed to care. Why now?" She sighed, trying to think of an answer. "I broke up with Raph," she practically wheezed it out. I couldn't help but smile. "Why?" She started sobbing, which was not the reaction I expected. "Raph and I fought a lot… over you." I just looked at her, shocked. "He didn't want us to be friends. He said if I loved him I would leave you. I told him that if he wanted to make me choose, I would choose you. Every. Single. Time." She was still crying, but seemed to be calming down. "So I broke up with him. You're my best friend and I won't lose you. Then I saw you with Lucy, and it hit me I could lose you anyway. That you could love somebody else."

I pulled her into a strong bear hug, trying to show her how thankful I was for her loyalty and how much I loved her. She sighed and finally stopped crying, leaning into me. I grabbed a napkin from my lunch, pulling away slightly, to wipe her mascara, which was streaked down her face. "I could never love Lucy, Clary…" I left what I really wanted to say out. _She's not you_, was all I could think. "Why'd you stop calling me Cherry?" I was surprised she noticed, and I told her so. "Of course I noticed, silly," she was smiling now, fixing her makeup, "you're my best friend!" "I don't know, I guess I didn't think Raph would like it too much," I replied. She glanced at me and grabbed my hand. "I'm Cherry to you. Forever and always." I smiled as we got up to walk to lunch, still hand in hand.

Clary POV

Well, the first half of the day had completely drained me. As Jace and I walked into the cafeteria and towards our table, we automatically unlaced our hands, knowing what our friends would think. Lucy was sitting at our table and as soon as I noticed her I tensed. Jace must have noticed, because he whispered for me to stay there and walked ahead, straight up to Lucy. I have no clue what he said to her, but they hugged and she walked away, sadly smiling at me as she did. At least he was nice this time, Lucy didn't seem like she was heartbroken. I smirked and took my seat next to Jace. I wasn't hungry, so I just rested my head on Jace's shoulder as he ate, pretending to listen to the chatter of our table. All I could think about was Jace. He was so perfect and I needed him so much. The fluttering in my stomach never went away when he was around, even when I was dating Raph or he was dating his chick of the month. I knew I was special, I lasted. At the thought, I sighed happily. Jace peeked down at me, smirking and then kissing my forehead. That day in the pool flashed in my mind, and I desperately wanted a repeat. But I knew he didn't feel that way about me. So I would be his best friend.

After lunch, Izzy and I made plans to go shopping and then she ran off to her class. Soon, it was just me and Jace. "Feel like getting out of here?" he asked. It's like he knew what I was thinking. I needed time to decompress. I nodded enthusiastically. "I have my car…" I started, but he cut me off. "Don't worry, leave it until tomorrow. I'm sure Raph wasn't expecting a ride home." I couldn't help but notice the light in his eyes when I said that. We walked to his car, holding hands like it natural, which it was. Luckily, there was no cheer practice or football practice today, so we didn't have to come back to school. We got to Taki's and ate a lazy and filling lunch before heading back towards home. My parents were out of town, again, so I had the house to myself. It was lonely. "Can we go to your house?" I asked quietly. He nodded and passed my house, pulling into his driveway. Apparently, his mom was at a retreat and his dad was working late, so we didn't have to worry about being caught skipping school. He gathered up a couple blankets and a DVD, I grabbed two Coke's, and we headed upstairs to his room.

In the middle of the second movie, I felt myself falling asleep. I was so comfortable and warm cuddling with Jace that I never wanted to leave. He made me feel safe and loved. I never felt loved and cherished by Raph. Only Jace and my dad gave me that feeling. I heard him quietly snoring and settled down to sleep. Before I knew it, Izzy was bursting into Jace's bedroom, startling us awake. "Come on lovebirds! Get up! I ordered pizza and then Clary and I have a date with the mall!" I heard he stomping down the stairs as I groaned and Jace chuckled. We got out of bed slowly. "Cherry, I'll tell Iz we have a homework assignment. Meet me in the tree house in five, I'll bring pizza." I smiled, crawling out his window without another word. A few minutes later, he arrived, climbing into the tree house while impressively balancing pizza and two cans of Coke. "Izzy said you owe her a long trip to the mall this weekend, so be prepared," he said with a smile on his face. I smacked his arm lightly and grabbed the pizza box. We ate in silence, just enjoying the time together. It was so right being with him. I never worried about what I looked liked or if I was doing everything right. It was comfortable. I loved him. Not like a friend, and I knew it. I couldn't deny it anymore. I laid back so my back was flat on the floor, and he soon followed. We laid there, lacing our hands together, silent. Until I turned to him, stroking his cheek with my free hand. I kissed him lightly. My lips tingled, but we didn't deepen the kiss. Instead, we pulled apart. "I love you," I whispered. "I love you too," he quickly replied. We fell asleep in the tree house, holding hands, and that's where we woke up the next morning.


	5. Chapter 5

2007

Clary POV

I can't believe that today is my senior year. It was going to be the best year ever. I was the queen of Idris Academy and everyone knew it. I was currently blasting Taylor Swift and trying to figure out what to wear. In the back of my huge closet, I saw it. A black dress. It was really short with ruffles. It still had the tags on it, I guess I had never worn it. To be honest, I didn't even know when I bought it. I heard a knock at my door, crap Izzy was early. I slid on the dress and went to my door. She was standing in the hall, looking like the hottie that she was. She was wearing a jean miniskirt, a white cami, and a black leather jacket with four inch black leather boots. "God Iz, you look awesome!" I exclaimed. She just smiled and said "that dress is a stunner, all the guys are gonna go crazy." I slipped into some strappy sandals, we finished up our makeup and hurried downstairs. My parents were sitting at our kitchen island, each reading a section of the Washington Post. "Hey mom, hey daddy," I greeted them as I grabbed two apples and kissed them each on the cheek. "We're out of here." "Have a good day, girls" my parents said in unison. I giggled, I guess 25 years of marriage really made them like one person. Dad was retired now, so they just traveled a lot and we lived off the money they already had. My uncle, Luke, was now running the company. It was nice to have my dad around more, especially because I had him wrapped around my little finger. Izzy and I yelled a quick goodbye and ran to the garage.

At the sight of my Mustang, I smiled. My dad had given it to me for my 18th birthday, saying I would need a better car for college. My previous car was decent, but the Mustang was out of this world. It was cherry red and completely tricked out. I unlocked the doors and Izzy and I slid in to the car. As I pulled out of the garage, I saw a blonde bombshell standing in my driveway. "Jace!" I screamed through the open window. He smiled his beautiful smiled and started walking to the passenger side. Izzy climbed in back and he took the shotgun seat. "Hey Iz, hey Cherry," he greeted us and kissed my cheek. We were more than just best friends, and just seeing him made me feel better. We never "dated" but we were more affectionate than ever – it was comfortable being with him. It made me happy. It seemed like we were both just too scared to take the plunge and risk ruining everything. Five minutes later, we pulled into the parking lot of the school. Jace jumped out of the car and ran over to my side, Izzy trailing behind him. The three of us owned this place. We knew it, everyone else knew it. We picked up our schedules in the cafeteria, already knowing that we had all of our classes together. We always did. People weren't stupid. Between my dad and Mr. Lightwood, our families probably built that new gym and fancy library. They wanted to please us.

As we walked to English, Simon ran up to Izzy and dragged her away. I'm sure they were going to find a corner somewhere to conduct their daily make-out sessions. They've been together for almost two years, and I was right, they are a perfect couple. Almost too perfect sometimes. But I still loved them. Jace and I lingered outside the door to our classroom before we finally walked inside, side by side. We found two seats in the back and sat down, all eyes on us. A girl, I couldn't remember her name, came over and sat on Jace's desk. I couldn't help but chuckle to myself, knowing what was about to happen. It was the same thing that always happened when girls pulled this crap. He would flirt incessantly and then shatter their hopes by ditching them without so much as a kiss. It's just what he did. He never dated or even kissed anyone else. I overheard their whispering while I was doodling in by notebook, waiting for class to start. The teacher walked in, and the blonde bimbo went back to her seat. I settled in for another year and smiled in Jace's direction, which he returned with a sparkle in his eye. Sometimes, I just want to kiss him – to take the next step. But then I panic, worrying that I will ruin everything.

Jace POV

The first day of school was a blur. I mechanically moved from class to class, only paying attention to the short redhead at my side. Before I knew it, I was in the cafeteria, sitting at our usual table next to Cherry. On my other side was some chick named Nicole. She was cute, and seemed eager. Just my type. But ever since I said I love you to Cherry, I couldn't even see another girl without thinking about her. I hadn't been with anyone since that day. Izzy and Simon sat down across from us and Maia, Jordan, Max, Aline, and Sebastian all sat down at the table. I couldn't help but notice Sebastian sitting awfully close to Cherry. That wasn't like him, he was usually pretty standoffish. Intrigued, I leaned into Cherry a little bit, sticking my head in her red curls. I have had tons of girlfriends, but my public affections were always reserved for her, and she was used to them. She leaned into me a bit and continued chatting. I heard bits and pieces of their conversation. "So, Izzy's having a party on Saturday. You going?" I heard Sebastian whispering to her. She just nodded her head. "Wanna go with me?" he blurted out. I was in shock. How dare he flirt with Cherry? How dare he ask her out? He was supposed to be my friend. My knuckles were almost white from clenching my hands into fists. Its not like he was the first guy to ask her out, hell, she had dated Raph for almost a year. But this was different. I knew that Raph and her weren't super physical. Seb, on the other hand, was a sex god in his own mind.

I was lost in my thoughts and didn't hear her response, so I just went back to eating and talking to Nicole, all the while I was practically cuddling with Cherry. When the bell rang, I automatically got up to head to my last class of the day, Calculus. Cherry was the only one of our friends in that class with me, it was advanced. I grabbed her by the hand and dragged her to the Calculus classroom. "Jace, slow down! My legs are a lot shorter than yours!" She was yelling at the back of my head. I slowed my pace as we entered the classroom, still holding hands. I slid into a seat and she took the one next to me. I didn't understand what I was feeling. I was angry. Angry at Sebastian. And I was curious. Curious as to what my Cherry said to him. While Mr. Roberts was passing out the syllabus, I grabbed my iPhone and sent Cherry a text. _Sooo, what did Seb want at lunch?_ I tried to ask as casually as possible, not wanting to seem nosy or controlling. She looked at the screen of her phone and smirked. She smirked! Why? _He wanted to go to Izzy's party with me. Like as a date. I'm afraid I broke his heart when I shot him down._ As soon as I read the text, I relaxed. It felt like I released a tension that I didn't know I was holding. I peeked over at her and she was smiling at me. Thank god. "So, I guess that means you don't want to be my date?" I almost laughed at how silly I sounded asking her. She looked surprised, and then recovered. "I always want to be your date." She laughed, but I could see her seriousness in her eyes. And I had never been so happy that she wanted to be with me.


	6. Chapter 6

Clary POV

It was the first Friday of the school year, and I was getting ready for Izzy's party. Maryse and Robert, as well as my parents, were at a wedding in England and wouldn't be back for a week, so Izzy wanted to have a welcome back party. I was wearing an emerald green, shiny dress with spaghetti straps. It barely covered my underwear. In fact, I was sure that it had been Izzy's shirt before she leant it to me. But I had to admit I looked damn good. With my smooth, silky red curls framing my face and the natural makeup with a smoky eye, I felt like an even better version of myself. I slipped on a pair of four inch tall stilettos that showed off my bright red toe nails, stuck my phone in my bra, and walked next door. There was no way I was using the tree in this dress and shoes. I'm pretty sure I'd die. As I crossed the lawn to Izzy's house, I saw Jace out front playing beer pong with Jordan, Simon, and some kid I didn't recognize. I smiled, swinging my hips a little more as I walked up to him. His back was to me, so I quietly slipped up the porch and slid my arms around Jace's chest, hugging him close to me and kissing his neck lightly. He gasped, surprised, and swung around. His eyes lit up when he saw me. He looked me over from head to toe and asked someone else to step into his spot as Simon's teammate. He kissed me on the cheek, took my hand and led me to the dance floor. He looked delicious in his dark wash, tight jeans with a black button down shirt, black belt and black Sperry's. All eyes were on us as we began to dance. We were beautiful, laughing, and clearly focused on each other. Everyone either wanted to have sex with us or be us and we knew it.

I dipped down, slowly grinding my body against him as I rose up again. Feeling his warm body against mine was exhilarating. He seemed to enjoy it too, rubbing himself closer to me and running his hands down my body. Every place he touched was on fire. Suddenly, I needed a drink, so I stood on my tippy toes to whisper to Jace, "I'm thirsty. Come with?" He grinned, took my hand, and walked me over to the alcohol table. I saw Simon and Izzy walking up the stairs, lost in each others eyes. They didn't notice me, but I knew they were heading to Izzy's room for "alone time." Jace poured us each a tequila shot, which we quickly did. I grabbed some vodka and cranberry juice and began to go to the family room to sit. I felt buzzed, and suddenly I had the urge to climb all over Jace. When I went to hug him, Jace pulled me close and said, "I'll be right back. I just need to go to the bathroom." I smiled and eyed the couch, silently telling him I would be there waiting. As he walked away, Sebastian came up to me, with a smirk on his face. He was drunk and clearly not in his right mind. "Clary, you're such a stunner. You look so hot baby. I want you. Let's go upstairs." He pushed me against the wall and started rubbing his hands on my body and nuzzling in my neck. I was uncomfortable and whispered no. He didn't seem to hear me – either that or he just didn't care. After what felt like hours of being trapped by a groping drunk, he was pulled off of me. I thought it was Jace, so I ran to my rescuer's arms.

It wasn't Jace, it was Alec. "Alec!" I screamed. "What are you doing here? You wanted to come to a high school party, you silly college boy!" I could tell I was getting sloppy and Alec was sitting me down so that he could turn his attention to Sebastian. He punched Seb square in the face and Seb fell over. Izzy suddenly appeared, hearing the commotion. She had Jordan and Simon "escort" Seb out. As soon as he left the house, tears started falling from my eyes as Alec came and sat by my side. He took my hand and brought me upstairs to what I knew was Jace's room. I was stumbling, but his strong arms didn't leave my side. I was so excited to see him – it had been months since he left for NYU. "Alec, what are you doing here? Where's Magnus" I asked again, louder than I thought, as he opened Jace's door. He chuckled and said "Mom asked me to come down this weekend to make sure Izzy and Jace didn't burn the house down. I'm glad I did. When did Seb become such a jerk? Magnus is here with me, by the way, he's gonna want to go shopping when you sober up!" I must have thought that was hilarious because as he laid me down on Jace's bed I started giggling uncontrollably – I loved Alec's boyfriend. He was a great shopping buddy. The next thing I know, I was passed out, wishing Jace was beside me.

Jace POV

I heard commotion while I was upstairs in the bathroom. I have no clue what happened but when I got out, I needed to make sure my Cherry was okay. I ran down the stairs, only to be hugged by Nicole. "You found meeeee," she slurred, blushing. God, she was a sloppy drunk. Her shirt was ripped and she was tripping on her own feet. I was holding her up when she suddenly kissed me. It was sloppy and wet and, if I was honest, I was disgusted. I did not want to kiss her tonight. Not at all. I pushed her off and stalked up to my room, desperate to find my Cherry. She caught up to me as I was opening my bedroom door, clearly getting the wrong idea. She started kissing me again and pushed me into my room and onto my bed. As I fell, I heard a sharp scream and felt something below my body. Nicole didn't seem to notice, but I stood up immediately, looking at what was on my bed. There was Cherry, red eyed and full of tears. She looked from me to Nicole and said "Well, I guess I figured out where you were while Seb was groping me." I tensed. Turning to Nicole, I said, "We are not doing this, I don't want to kiss you or sleep with you or anything. Leave me alone." I gently led her out to the hall and closed the door. Clary was hysterical. I only heard parts of her sobs. "How could you… kiss… love… Jace… why?" My heart was breaking. I pulled her into my arms and her sobbing stopped. Soon, she was breathing rhythmically, sleeping. I got a text – it was from Alec. _Jace, I put Clary in your room. Sebastian was an ass and was groping her and kissing her. She couldn't get him to stop. She was terrified. Don't worry, I knocked him unconscious for you and Izzy threw his ass out. Take care of Clary. She needs you. _I looked at the sleeping girl in my arms and my anger at Seb washed away (for now, at least). That would be dealt with the next time I saw him. How dare he think he could touch my Cherry. He thought he could hurt her? I'm the captain of the football team, and I didn't care that I had known him my whole life, I planned on killing him the next time I saw him. For now, Cherry needed me, so I snuggled into her and fell asleep with my arms around my Cherry.


	7. Chapter 7

** **This beginning of this chapter contains sexual content. If you want to skip this part, skip the Clary POV and go directly to Jace POV ****

Clary POV

I woke up with a splitting headache and tried to sit up, but quickly realized I couldn't. I looked down. I was still wearing my dress. Good, I at least knew I didn't have sex. I turned over and saw Jace sleeping peacefully next to me, looking like a golden angel. He had his arm over my stomach, holding me close. I sighed as I felt him stir, catching a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror. "How you feeling?" he murmured in his husky morning voice. "Ughhh, I've been better. What the hell happened last night? Why do I look like a monster from a movie?" I said. My phone buzzed, letting me know I had a text. It turns out I had several. _Are you okay? Alec told me what happened? Do you need anything? – Mag. _I couldn't deal with him right now, so I ignored the text and didn't even open the others. "Alec is here?" I questioned Jace. "Yeah, he sorta knocked Sebastian unconscious for groping you last night." "What?! What happened? Where were you?" I was screaming, but I didn't really care. Jace sighed and told me the whole story. I wanted to throw up. He held my hand while I processed this information and then, seeing me calm down, continued. "And Nicole sort of assaulted me. She wanted to sleep with me. We came in here and she pushed me onto the bed. The bed… you were sleeping in." I could tell he was waiting for the anger, the jealousy. Instead, I chuckled. In response to his questioning glance, probably wondering if I was mentally scarred, I said, "Well, it's kind of funny you know. Nicole was forcing herself on you. Sebastian forcing himself on me. We were both a mess. And yet, we ended up in bed together." At that, he started laughing softly and hugged me to his side. We didn't officially belong to each other, but Jace was mine and I was his.

We laid there for a while, too sore and hung over to move. I was enjoying the moment. I couldn't deny my feelings for Jace anymore. He made me feel loved and warm. I never wanted to be without him. Ever since I was a kid, he was it. Even when I dated others, he was more important. He was my world. I grasped him closer to me in the bed and heard him whisper "My Cherry…" dreamily. I smiled and turned to face him. Sitting up a bit, I ran my fingers through his hair and he moaned quietly. God, it drove me crazy. I rolled over in his arms some more and gently pressed my lips to his. He froze – I guess my kissing him in the morning in bed was a shock. I pulled back. "I… I'm sorry," I stuttered. Before I could finish my apology, he pressed his lips to mine with passion. It started out gentle, but I rolled over so that I was straddling him and deepened the kiss. He licked my lips seductively, and I opened my mouth with a gasp. God, he was a good kisser. Even better than I remembered. He was driving me crazy! His tongue was doing amazing things in my mouth. I started to unbutton his shirt, grazing my hands along his chest as I did. He pulled it off and suddenly I was in heaven. It's not like I'd never seen his bare chest before. We'd gone swimming tons of times. We slept in the same bed when he wasn't wearing a shirt. But this felt different. Magical.

His hands moved to the zipper of my dress, pulling it down slowly, with a questioning look in his eyes. I nodded yes and slipped out of my dress. He rolled over so that he was on top of me again, fidgeting with his belt but never taking his beautiful, soft lips from my mouth. I needed air, so I pulled back, but silently told him not to stop. He moved his lips to my neck as he slipped out of his pants and tossed them away. He nipped at the pulse point on my neck. I knew I would have a hickey tomorrow, but I didn't care. I wanted the world to know that I was Jace's. I would never be anyone else's. We were in our underwear, flesh against flesh and we were moaning each others names. The grinding motion he was doing against my hips was making me crazy, I couldn't see straight. His hand went to my back and he unclasped my strapless bra. I threw it across the room. He stopped kissing me and paused, admiring my breasts. Then he moved his mouth and hands to them and I had never felt such pleasure. How could him kissing and touching me bring me more pleasure than sex with anyone else, ever? The few time I'd had with Raph were fine, but nothing like this. That one time at camp was awkward and miserable. This was heaven. I was gasping as I begged him to keep going. I felt beautiful and loved. This was so right.

He pulled my lacy underwear off me quickly and it was followed by his boxers. He moved his mouth to my lips, and the kiss was soft, gentle, and full of love. "Are you sure?" He was giving me an out, a chance to stop. "Yes," I said, breathless. He moved his hand to his end table, I guess that's where his condoms are. I didn't want a barrier between us. I gasped, "Jace, no. I'm on the pill. And I trust you. Please…" I begged. I never beg. God, this is crazy. Before I knew it, he was staring me in the eyes and sliding into me. I gasped, the pleasure was overwhelming. We both moaned and he began to rock his hips into me, thrusting at the perfect speed. I began rocking my hips up, matching his rhythm. He changed angles, and suddenly my most sensitive spot was being rubbed and stimulated with every thrust. After what felt like seconds, I was flying. My walls were clenching around him and I kissed him with more love than I thought was possible, moaning his name into his mouth. I knew he was getting close, his movements were frantic, so I whispered "Jace, come with me. Please. I love you." That was all he needed and we both flew over the edge. When it was over, he kissed my face, my neck, my shoulder, my breasts, and finally my lips – all without disconnecting our bodies. "I love you, too, my Cherry" he said so quietly that I could barely hear him. He pulled out of me finally and grabbed me into his arms, holding me closer than ever before. I drifted to sleep listening to his heart beat and praying that it would never end.

Jace POV

I woke up and my Cherry was gone. Was it all a dream? I glanced down and realized it was definitely not a dream. I was naked and Cherry's dress was on the floor, wrinkled. Where was she? All the sudden, my bathroom door opened and out walked my Cherry who was wearing my tee-shirt and humming softly to herself happily. She clearly thought I was asleep. "Hey" I said. Her head snapped up and she smiled the most radiant smile I've ever seen. God, she was so perfect. How did it take twelve years for this moment? I should have made her mine as soon as I met her. "Hey, you. I was trying to find a hair brush, I have sex hair." She giggled and it was adorable. I pointed to my dresser and she grabbed the brush, running it through her hair quickly, with such grace that I couldn't help but stare. Then she walked over to the bed and sat next to me. "So, you're wearing my tee-shirt… it looks better on you than me," I joked. "I just want you to know that I plan on keeping this shirt forever," she said smiling. "I wouldn't have it any other way!" I replied, excited by the possibilities that tee-shirt brought with it. I really needed to get my head out of the gutter, but I couldn't help but rub my hand comfortingly along her thigh.

"Jace, what happened between us earlier was…" she didn't finish her sentence. I was panicked. She was not going to make me regret this. I love her. I know I do. And she loves me. There's no use hiding it. I sat up, starting to speak, wanting to stop her from ruining everything. She put her finger to my mouth, quieting me. "Jace, what happened this morning was the best thing that ever happened to me. I never knew how much I loved you. I'm sorry it took me so long to realize this – but I love you too much to just be your friend. I love you so much it hurts. And I know you probably don't want a relationship, I mean, you like to play around with girls and I can't do that. So I want you to tell me. If you want to just be friends, I will handle it. I promise. I'll be sad as hell, but I will be your best friend even if that's all I am." She quietly cried and I raised my hand to her face to wipe her tears. She wasn't looking at me, but at the pillow behind me. "Cherry…Cherry." God, she was zoned out. "Clarissa Adele Morgenstern," I finally murmured. She snapped out of it and stared at me intently, bracing herself for the emotional blow that she thought was coming.

"My beautiful Cherry. Do you remember the day we met?" She nodded, so I continued. "Well, I knew as soon as I saw you that I didn't want to be just your friend. Hell, I told my mom and Izzy that I was going to marry you when we grew up. And we did grow up. Together, always. At first, I really thought my childhood crush was gone. Then I got older, and the feelings got stronger. It wasn't easy, restraining my feelings for you. I didn't want to lose you, and you saw me as a player. I wanted to be a player, to distract myself from you! I saw what that kiss did to you a few years back. I never wanted to hurt you, so I promised myself that I would be your friend. But you were the only girl I had affection for. I found myself wanting to hold your hand, hug you, cuddle with you. I wanted to be with you all the time. And I was mad when you wanted someone else. Jealous of you liking another. I wanted you to like me. You were mine, and I was yours. But finally, I am determined. I can't hide it anymore. We are seniors. Soon we'll be going to college and I cannot do this without you. I need you. I love you, Clary."

Tears welled in her eyes and she smiled. "You called me Clary." That's all she said. I knew why, "I needed you to know I was serious. I love you. You're my best friend. I want you to be my best friend, my lover, my girlfriend, and one day my wife and the mother of my children." At that, she started sobbing and smiling, kissing me all over. After a few minutes of us cherishing the moment, I got a text. It was from Izzy. _You and Clary have explaining to do. Meet me and Si at Taki's in half an hour. I saw something interesting earlier and now I'm traumatized._ I showed the text to Cherry and she smiled. We got up and I got dressed. Cherry crawled out the window and into her bedroom quickly, still wearing my shirt. Twenty minutes later, she crawled back through. She was wearing a sweatshirt and cut off jean shorts. Her hair was in a high pony tail. She looked just as stunning in that as she did last night in her dress. I kissed her roughly, letting her know what I thought about her and making a promise - _later_. Then we ran down the stairs and got into my Mercedes, speeding down the road to Taki's.


	8. Author's Note - reviews

Dear Readers,

Please, please, please review. Let me know where you want the story to go and what you think. I will be adding the next chapter this weekend, its not quite finished yet.

To those who have reviewed, thank you! I am glad that you like the story so far!

Thanks,

pupluv168


	9. Chapter 8

Clary POV

Well the conversation with Izzy and Simon didn't go as badly as I thought. Jace and I walked into the diner holding hands and smiling. I immediately spotted Izzy and ran over to the booth, sliding in gracefully. "Clary, did this seriously happen? Did I see what I think I saw? You and my … brother… you know." She was asking me, but her gaze was going back and forth between me and Jace. She was uncomfortable, that much was clear. "Yes, it did. We're together. Is that okay?" I asked meekly. She was my best friend, but Jace was her brother and she was a temperamental chick. She looked her brother square in the eyes and said, "If you hurt Clary, you're going to die." Jace gave her a shocked look. "Why are you warning me, aren't you my sister? You're supposed to protect me!" Izzy scoffed at that. "You can handle yourself, you pig! Plus, from what I saw last night, you are really liking the whole 'more than friends' thing," she said as she rolled her eyes. Jace gave her a dirty look, and I giggled, unable to control it because I was just so weirded out by the entire discussion. Simon finally piped in "Well, now that this awkward conversation is over, can we please get some pancakes!" We all laughed and ordered pancakes. Everything was perfect. Jace smiled at me and kissed my cheek and all I could do was smile.

Well, the happy breakfast lasted for about ten minutes. Until Sebastian and his crew of lap dogs walked in and sat down at a nearby table. _Crap!_ Jace's eyes darkened immediately. He sat up straighter and I could see the tension in his jaw. I grabbed his hand, silently warning him to calm down. "Excuse me, guys, I have to go handle some business," he said calmly as he began sliding out of the booth, letting go of my hand. He was scary calm. I was shaking, Simon looked like a deer in headlights, and Izzy's mouth was hanging open. Sebastian and his friends didn't even see him until he was standing behind Sebastian, quickly and roughly spinning his chair around. "You bastard!" Jace growled. Sebastian laughed and I wanted to throw up. "Hey Goldie! Missed you at the party, Short Stuff over there and I had fun together, though." God, he was trying to get himself killed.

Suddenly, Jace's left fist was hitting Sebastian in the middle of his face. This was not good. Sebastian's friends look pissed but they were too freaked out to act. After all, Jace was their friend too. He was their football captain. Sebastian fell off his chair as the blood dripped from his nose. _Crappppp._ I jumped out of the booth and ran to Jace. He was so angry, he wouldn't stop kicking Sebastian, knocking him to the ground. Everyone was frozen in shock except for me. I grabbed Jace's hand. "Jace, please, it's over," I whispered. He turned his angry face away from Sebastian and met my eyes. I could immediately see his eyes lighten as the anger got under control. He turned back to his target, who was now slowly getting up from the ground, with blood trailing down his face. "You god damn bastard. If you ever, and I mean EVER, go near Clary again, I will end you! She is _mine_. I swear on the Angel, you will die if you so much as look at her the wrong way again," the threat in his voice was very clear. Sebastian glanced from Jace to me, before standing up the rest of the way and looking Jace in the eyes. "God, Jace, you are such an ass. She's all yours. She's not worth this shit." He turned around and left. I couldn't believe that Seb gave up that easily, it was really unlike him. Oh well, at least the crisis was averted, thank God!

Jace still wasn't happy, but once Seb and his friends were gone he was noticeably calmer. We were still standing there next to the table, holding hands and frozen in place. I started to walk back to our booth, dragging Jace behind me. "Thank you, Jace," I whispered. As we sat down, he raised one eyebrow at me, confused. "Cherry, you're not mad at me? You hate it when I lose my temper." I giggled. "Well, you were defending my honor! He's an ass. He scared me – and I thought he was my friend before. He deserved it," I said before adding, "But don't do it again." He kissed me so passionately that I was lost. It was just Jace and I. Someone cleared their throat. "Hey, guys. We're still here you know. And I'm totally gonna throw up my lunch," Simon announced. "Seriously," Izzy added, "stop the tonsil hockey. Seb's an asshat, and it's over. Restrain your PDA, at least in my presence. I'm still having flashbacks from my nighttime view of parts of my brother and best friend that I never wanted to see." We pulled apart, laughing, and enjoyed the rest of our breakfast. Jace leaned in, whispering sweet nothings in my ears as I drank my black coffee.

Jace POV

God, Cherry was such an angel. I loved spending the rest of the weekend with her, just basking in the love between us. Too soon, it was Monday and time for school. It was the day when things were going to change for Cherry and I. Everyone was going to know. I was nervous, which was weird because I was never nervous. I jumped out of my bed too early (it felt especially early because I climbed back through my window from Cherry's at like 5 am), showered, and dressed casually in my black jeans, a white tee, and my Chucks. Then I ran down the stairs, screaming at Izzy to get ready. "Iz, come on! We gotta go!" I yelled as I ran to the kitchen. As I was rummaging through the fridge, my mom walked up next to me. "Jonathan Christopher Lightwood, when were you going to tell me about you and Clarissa? Instead, I have to overhear your sister and brother talking about it!" She was smiling, so I wasn't too worried. I just smiled back, unsure what I should say. "FINALLY!" was all she yelled as she hugged me. "We love Clary, dear. You two have always been meant to be!" I kissed my moms cheek as Izzy wandered into the room. "Mom, we're leaving. You can be happy for Jace later," she said, as she grabbed my arm and dragged me out the door.

As soon as I got outside, I saw Clary leaning against my Mercedes, writing something. She looked beautiful in her short white skirt, a blue tank top, and white Chucks. Her hair was pulled back in a high pony tail. I snuck up to her and kissed her cheek, laughing at her surprised jump. "Jace, you scared the crap out of me!" she yelled, while stuffing her writing stuff in her bag. Then she leaned into me, grabbing my shirt and pulling my face down to hers. She softly kissed me and I was in heaven. "I missed you, Cherry" was all I said. She giggled. "We just saw each other like two hours ago, silly!" Before I could reply, my car's horn sounded loudly. Izzy was in the backseat, leaning over and pressing the horn. "We're gonna be late. Suck face after you take me to school!" she yelled. I opened Cherry's door and waited for her to climb in before closing it and entering the driver's seat. I had to speed, but we made it to school on time. Izzy bolted with a simple "see you later!" I looked at Clary. "Are you ready?" I asked. She nodded and we got out of the car, grabbing each others hand as quickly as possible.

We walked, hand in hand, and tried to pretend that people weren't looking at us. Our conversation flowed as normal and soon it was easy to drown everyone out, even though the whispers and stares were annoying. Cherry sighed as we got to our lockers, getting our books out. Just then, Aline and Sebastian walked up to us. Sebastian's black eye was still going strong, and I secretly congratulated myself. The ass deserved it. "Jacey," Aline started in her squeaky voice. "Are we going out after practice today?" "No," I replied. Before I could say anything else, Cherry spoke up. "Aline, honey, Jace doesn't like you. Never has, never will. In fact, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't date you if you were the last woman on Earth. However, Seb over there is more than eager to be with someone, and you seem the type that deserves someone like him." God, she was snarky today. I loved it. I took her hand, smiled down at her and said, "Now, it you'll excuse us, my _girlfriend_ and I need to get to class." We walked away without a glance back. I'm sure Aline and Seb were planning their revenge, but I didn't care because all I could think about was how lucky I was to have such a smart and beautiful girl love me as much as I love her.


	10. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Please, please keep reviewing! It really helps me when I get feedback and it also motivates me to want to write more. This story is my very first FanFiction, so I really would loveee as much confirmation as possible that you guys like it. Thanks so much to those that have reviewed so far. You've really made me smile and made me want to keep writing this story. **

Clary POV

In October, some scouts came to our school's football game. They were from Georgetown, I saw it on their shirts. Of course, they came to see Jace Lightwood, the star quarterback. I was standing near them on the sidelines. As the captain of the cheerleading squad, it was my job to be on alert in between routines. But I was focused on Jace. He knew the scouts were here, and he was nervous. At halftime, we were winning, but it was close at 10-9. Jace ran to the sideline and I met him there. He grabbed me in his arms, kissing my neck. I whispered "Jace, you can do this. You're a great player. People love you. Your parents are here. Alec, Magnus, and Izzy are here. And I'm here. I know you are going to be great!" He smiled, kissed me, and ran to the coach. The second half of the game was a blur. Nicole messed up a landing, but I didn't even yell at her. I was holding my breath watching Jace. As the final buzzer rang, the score was 17-15. We won! Jace ran to me and picked me up, swinging me around. I kissed him, putting as much feeling as I could into it. Someone cleared their throat. I turned around to see the Lightwoods, Magnus, and my parents standing there. Izzy was coming our way, with Simon trailing close behind.

Jace was hugging everyone and then he had to go meet with the scouts. He asked me to go with him since he was so nervous. I held his hand tightly and walked with him to where the coach and scouts were talking. They smiled when they saw us walking up. "Hello there, Jace, my name is Mark Jacobs, the chief athletics scout for Georgetown," one of the men said. "It's so nice to meet you, Mr. Jacobs, this is my girlfriend Clary." I smirked at his use of my name. All the sudden, they were talking football and smiling. I had no clue what was going on, but Jace seemed happy so I was happy. I kind of zoned out before Jace kissed me hard on the lips. "Baby, I got a full ride!" He was screaming and jumping. The family was running over, everyone was screaming. I couldn't handle it. I started crying hysterically. I ran to my parents, smiling and crying. My dad took me in his arms and said "You're gonna marry a football player!" before he let me go and walked away with my mother, going to see the Lightwoods. I was confused but so happy that it didn't matter. Jace came up to me and hugged me tightly. I stood on my tippy toes and whispered seductively, "You are so getting lucky tonight, Mr. college football star!" He smirked and we went to join our families and friends.

The next few months were pure joy. Before I knew it, it was winter break. At the start of break, Jace and I were casually hanging out, eating Chinese take-out and watching _Breaking Bad. _Jace had snuck over through my window. My parents had a no sleepover rule now that we were dating, but they knew it was silly. We were not afraid to flaunt our feelings and I'm sure my parents knew we were doing the deed. My dad even had "the talk" with Jace! Anyhow, after our midnight rendezvous, we went downstairs to get something to eat. I was digging around the fridge when Jace came up behind me, holding a large envelope. "What is this?" I didn't know, so I grabbed the envelope from him, ripping it open. I read the first words, dropped the envelope and fell to the floor grasping the letter like my life depended on it. "Cherry, Cherry, come on babe, what is it?" Jace was screaming. "I…got…in." Immediately, he fell to the floor with me, smiling like an idiot. He took the letter from me and grinned so brightly I swear it could have lit up the whole block. He kissed me and kissed me. My forehead, my face, my cheeks, my neck, finally my lips. We leisurely walked upstairs and fell into my bed, forgetting our food, thinking only about our excitement and our love for each other. We were going to Georgetown. Together.

Jace POV **(lemons – skip if you don't want to read sexual content)**

Cherry and I really were going to be together forever, the fact that we both got scholarships to Georgetown just solidified it. As I woke up with her in my arms, I couldn't believe how lucky and happy I was. Not wanting to wake Cherry, I slid out of bed, threw on my clothes, and ran downstairs to grab something to eat. When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I practically ran into Valentine Morgenstern. Cherry's dad always liked me, but I think running into him in his kitchen at 6 am might push even his boundaries. "Jace, what the hell are you doing in my house at six in the morning?" "Mr. Morgenstern, Clary and I were up late last night, you know, celebrating her Georgetown acceptance…" Before I could finish, he interrupted. "What! Clarissa got into Georgetown and didn't tell her mother and I? When did she find out?" I told him that I happened to stumble upon the envelope by the front door, it looked like someone had accidentally dropped it. I told him that Cherry and I had opened it last night. "CLARISSA!" He was suddenly screaming.

Cherry came running down the stairs in short shorts and my tee. She was stunning, and even with her father standing there I couldn't stop myself from ogling her. "Daddy, I can explain. Jace and I were up late, it was really dark, and he had forgotten his key…" she was desperately trying to explain my presence. "Clary," her dad interrupted, "when were you going to tell your mother and I about Georgetown?" He was smiling and picked her up, twirling her around like he's done since she was a little girl. "Daddy, I just found out last night. I was going to tell you guys when we went out to lunch later today." As he set her down, she made her way over to me, smiling. "Daddy," she said, addressing her dad, "Jace and I are going to go up to the roof for a swim, okay? You're going to visit Uncle Luke before lunch, right?" "Yes, honey, your mom will meet us there, she's at the gallery right now," her dad said, distracted by the good news, "I'll see you later." He was so distracted, in fact, that he forgot I was even here.

Clary grabbed my hand and we ran up to her room. Luckily, I kept a spare bathing suit at her house. I changed quickly and yelled to Cherry that I would meet her up on the roof as I left her room. Five minutes later, she came out the door in a black string bikini, with her hair hanging wildly. Her hips were swinging as she walked, and I felt myself get excited just looking at her. She set the towels in her hand down and jumped into the pool, splashing me with water. She swam over and, before I could gather my thoughts, she kissed me with a hunger that shocked me. I pulled her closer and she wrapped her toned legs around my waist. Our kiss deepened, and I walked us over to the wall so that she was pressed against it. Suddenly, her hand was grazing down my chest and sliding into my swim trunks. Groaning, I kissed her harder.

Without breaking the kiss, she pushed my swim trunks down with her feet. _God, she's talented. How can she do that?_ I was in heaven, skimming my hands over her body, lingering on her chest before pulling her bikini bottoms down. She was gasping and grabbing at my hair as I grazed her arousal with my hand. "Please, Jace," she begged. Without answering her, I slid a finger inside of her, determined to make her pleasure last. She bucked and began sucking on my neck. I slid another finger in, and then another. I rubbed her clit with my thumb and she started screaming. It didn't take long for her walls to clench. "Jace! More! I _need _to feel you inside me. NOW!" After she came, I removed my hands, replacing it with my hardened member. We thrust into each other at an unbelievable pace. The euphoria I felt was unreal. Too soon, I felt her walls tightening around me again. We were lost in each other's eyes as I continued to pound into her. "_Claryyyyy_" I drawled out as I came. She was right there with me, lost in the pleasure. When it was over, as we were both coming down from our highs, she kissed me again with such power that I almost fell over in the middle of the pool. When we parted, she sighed and I pulled out of her. "God, woman, you're going to kill me one day," I faux-complained. "Now, lets go get ready for lunch. I don't know about you, but I worked up an appetite."


	11. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: This chapter has explicit sexual content. It is more graphic than my other scenes, as requested by several reviewers. I placed a warning in bold before it starts and when it ends, so you can skip it if you choose. Again, this is an M rated story for a reason, so please be aware. **

Clary POV

Izzy was throwing her last party of high school. Naturally, I was at the Lightwood house getting ready. Simon and Jace were downstairs playing some video game – they knew that Izzy takes at least three hours to complete our "total looks." Tonight was going to be amazing. School was over, graduation was just over a week away, and I couldn't believe how much my life had changed. I was in love with Jace. We had a future together. And I was happier than I'd ever been. Izzy and I had done our hair and makeup, now she was hunting for the perfect dresses. "Clare, I have the perfect dress!" I heard Izzy scream from her huge walk in closet. I got up from where I was sitting on her bed to see what she picked out for us to wear tonight. She was wearing a blue sequin dress that hit mid-thigh with a halter neck. She looked great. She was holding a bright red dress in her hand. "Iz, that's going to clash with my hair. I'm going to look like a tomato!" She laughed and pushed the dress into my hands. I slipped off my jeans and tee and slid on the dress. The silk material clung to my every curve. I had to admit, my cleavage was amazing in this dress. And my hips and ass didn't look so bad either. In fact, I look beautiful. I can't wait to show Jace! I was in such a great mood tonight, I just wanted to dance and have fun with my friends. Izzy was leaving to go to NYU soon, and Simon was leaving at the end of the summer for Colombia. This was a last hurrah for us. I was going to savor every minute.

"Izzy, I look fucking amazing! Thank you!" I yelled as I pulled her in for a hug. She laughed, hugging me back as tightly as she could. "Damn, I'm gonna miss my best friend" she mumbled, tearing up. "Don't worry. We're only like four hours away. We can meet half way and hang out all the time," I said, trying to be positive as I attempted to wipe my own tears away. "But right now," I added, "lets go party!" We grabbed our purses, slid on our stilettos and made our way down the stairs to our boys. Simon didn't even notice me as Izzy came down the stairs. I swear, the drool was hanging out of his open mouth. Jace's face broke out in a huge smile as I followed Izzy downstairs. I stumbled my way to him, tripping on the last step. Of course, he caught me. Then he slammed his lips to mine and I couldn't help but let out a moan. My hands went to his hair and his went to my hips, pulling me closer than I thought was possible. He grabbed me by the ass and I wrapped my legs around his waist. His lips moved to my neck. We was going too far… I even heard Simon clearing his throat. "Jace," I was trying to slow us down, but I couldn't help that his name came out as a moan. "Jaceeeee," I was practically whining now.

He finally pulled his lips from my neck and his golden eyes met my green ones. His breathing was slowing down as he set me gently back on my feet and grabbed my hand. "Sorry guys," I said to Simon and Izzy, who were just staring at us. I was blushing and a little sad we couldn't continue. We walked to Jace's car, piled in, and drove to Pandemonium, the nightclub that the Lightwood's rented out for the party. Jace handed the keys to the valet and came around to open my door for me. "You look amazing, baby" he whispered as he helped me out of the car. I just smiled at him, dragging him into the club to catch up with Simon and Izzy who had already made it inside. I was shocked by what I saw. There was glitter everywhere! _Magnus must have helped plan this! _The bar was glowing. Literally glowing! The DJ was already playing dance music as Jace and I made our way to the bar. I ordered a Sprite and Jace got water. We sat at a table and greeted our friends for a while, reminiscing about our high school years and talking about what we were all doing next – or at least trying to over the music. I saw black hair moving toward us and tensed. Jace noticed Sebastian making his way toward us and he squeezed my hand, silently reassuring me. Sebastian stopped right in front of us.

"Clary, you look amazing. God, the things I could do to you. In fact, lets go to that storage room around back right now," he whispered, leaning over the table and leering at me. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. Jace jumped up and pushed the table away, standing right in between Sebastian and I. He looked murderous. "Leave!" he yelled. "You jackass, leave before I have to destroy you again in public. If you ever so much look at Clary again…" He couldn't finish his threat because Sebastian was punching him in the face. I screamed but Jace quickly recovered kicked Seb in the shin just as Simon kicked him in the ass, sending him to his knees. Then, I stood up and kicked him in the balls with the heel of my stiletto. He fell completely to the ground just as Izzy walked over and dumped her soda on his face. "Stay the hell out of our lives you asshat," I growled, grabbing Jace's hand and dragging him to the dance floor. I was thankful to have such amazing friends that were always there. Thank god Sebastian was going to UCLA. After next week, I'll never have to see him again!

We reached the dance floor and started moving like it was our last night on earth. I can't even remember the last time I had so much fun! Our whole group was gathered together dancing like idiots. Sweat was coating my body as we danced. Then Jace pulled me close to him, rubbing against me in the best way. I sighed, grinding my hips against his in time with the music. His hands skimmed from by hips to my waist to the sides of my breasts as he leaned in to me. God, I was seeping wet between my legs just from dancing with this beautiful man. "Cherry, why don't we take advantage of that dipshit's storage room idea," he whispered in my ear, before slowly nibbling my earlobe so wonderfully that I thought I was going to pass out. I nodded and he led me to a door near the emergency exit. Surprisingly, it opened easily and we slipped inside.

****Smut ahead****

He pushed me against the door, again running his hands over my body. I shivered under his touch and sighed. It felt so right being with him. I slipped my hands under his shirt, running my hands over his rock hard abs. I teased his nipples with my fingertips before sliding his shirt over his head, temporarily breaking our kiss. I pulled away from his mouth and nibbled his right ear before licking from his ear to his neck. I sucked his neck and heard his groan as he rubbed his hands across my mid-section. I moved my mouth down his body, peppering him with soft kisses. Soon, I was on my knees in front of him, unzipping his fly and pulling his jeans down. I looked up at him as I ran my hands across the waist band of his boxers. His eyes were closed and his head was back. He was in pure bliss. I slipped his boxers off his body and freed his pulsing cock. I could never get enough of his gorgeous member that brought me so much pleasure. He moaned as I kissed his head and ran my tongue from his balls to his tip. Suddenly, I took his entire length in my mouth and brought my mouth up and down. "Ch-Cher-Cherry…" Jace moaned. His hands were in my hair, tugging gently. I sped up the pace and I felt his muscles tensing. "Stop, Cherry. I'm gonna…" I squeezed his balls with my hand and he exploded almost immediately. My mouth filled with warm, salty liquid as he pulled me to a standing position.

He growled as he started kissing me roughly, his tongue brushing mine. My panties were soaked through. _God, the things he does to me!_ He practically ripped my dress off and my bra followed. He assaulted my breasts with his hands and his tongue and I couldn't help but squirm at the amazing feeling. One hand dipped into my panties as his lips and other hand fondled my chest. His fingers grazed my mound, teasing me without dipping inside. I wanted to scream. "Jace!" I screamed. He pulled his mouth away from me and smirked. As he was staring into my eyes, I felt a finger dip inside me and nearly collapsed with pleasure. "God damn, you're so hot, baby. You're so wet for me!" Jace was hard again, I could feel his member against my thigh as he slid a second and then a third finger inside me. His thumb grazed my most sensitive area and I couldn't help but scream. His lips met mine once again, as I climaxed with his gentle caress. Jace was blurry and I was screaming into his mouth, unable to control myself. As I came down from my high, he pulled his fingers out of me and pulled my panties down my legs.

Before I knew what was happening to me, he slammed into me harder than he ever had before. His thrusts were frantic. I stopped him and, with him still inside of me, we sat on the floor so that I was straddling his hips. Now I was in control. I began bouncing up and down, reveling in the feeling as his body pounded into mine. He was kissing my breasts and grabbing my ass. I don't know if it was the idea of being in public or the Sebastian thing or what, but I had never felt this pleasured before. I mean, don't get me wrong, Jace and I always have fun in bed, but this was a whole new level. I could tell Jace felt it to, from the way he was moaning my name as I thrust up and down his length as fast as I could. He flipped us over so that he was slamming into me from behind. _Oh my god. Jesus. _He reached around my body and rubbed my bundle of nerves again. The pounding and the rubbing and the intensity of everything got to me and I felt another orgasm coming. The pleasure continued to grow. "Jace, oh my god, Jace. More, harder, harder!" I was screaming and thrashing as I reached my peak. I felt my walls clench around Jace and then he was releasing inside of me. We came down together, sighing. Jace's eyes met mine again. "That was…" I began. "Fucking amazing," Jace finished. He kissed me softly. "I love you," I said. "I love you too. So much," he said, before he began getting up. ****End of smut and lemons** **We got dressed and returned to the dance floor. We held hands and danced all night. It was the perfect way to end the first phase of our life together.


	12. Chapter 11

We graduated high school, if you can believe it. I was valedictorian and gave the most amazing speech, well the most amazing according to Jace, of course. I saw my parents in the audience. My dad was smiling and my mom was sobbing uncontrollably. He was rubbing her shoulder and whispering in her ear. The pride was radiating from them. God, I was so lucky. They loved me so much. My dad must have seen me, because he mouthed "I love you" right at me. I beamed at him. One by one, my friends and I graduated. Simon, Isabelle, Jace, and me gathered together after we got our diplomas. We were hugging each other, Izzy and I were crying. We were met outside the auditorium by the Lightwoods, my parents, and Simon's parents. There was so much crying, laughing, and hugging that I couldn't bear it. I excused myself for a minute, telling everyone I would meet them at the restaurant we were going to celebrate at. I needed a few minutes. I sat down on a bench, thinking over the my life. Images of Jace and Izzy danced in my mind. Cheerleading, the school paper, and all my other friends swirled around as well. Without me even noticing, Jace sat down and took my hand. "It's crazy, isn't it? I feel like we were hanging out in our tree house last week." I giggled. "That's because we were in the tree house last week." "Yeah, but having sex isn't the same as stargazing when we were seven." He smirked. "No, it's better. Jace, I love you." He sighed, "I love you too, my Cherry." We got up and walked hand in hand to the restaurant.

After dinner, Jace and I walked around the city just taking in everything that had happened. The past year had been crazy. We started dating, we found out we were going to Georgetown, and we graduated high school. It was a whirlwind of excitement. Finally, we made it to our houses. He kissed me and I walked inside my house. My parents were in the family room, watching some movie and cuddling. I smiled and sat down on the sofa across from them. My dad smiled at me and my mom took my hand. "Clary," she started, "we are so proud of you and so excited for your future. You are our shining star, the best thing we ever did. We can't imagine our lives without you. And we decided to give you a present for graduation. We bought you a condo near campus. It's only one bedroom, but it has an awesome sunroom for your office and a huge remodeled kitchen. Lots of character and natural light. You can live on your own, but we'll only be a few minutes away if and when you need us." I started jumping up and down, screaming. Then I hugged them both so tightly that I thought they wouldn't be able to breathe. My dad laughed and added, "The best part is that it's completely unfurnished. You get to decorate it however you want." I was so excited that I could barely suppress another scream. I had to tell Jace! I kissed each of my parents and sprinted up to my room, sitting on my window seat. I grabbed some paper clips and threw them at his window. Immediately his head popped out, but I was already almost into the tree house.

I brought blankets and pillows and I saw that Jace did too. God, he knew me so well. He looked at me like I had horns, and I realized I still had the goofy grin on my face. "Jace, my parents bought me a condo for graduation. It's near campus and has a big kitchen and a sunroom. It will be perfect for us!" He sat down on the ground, pulling me with him. "Us? You want me to live with you?" He sounded like the breath was knocked out of him. "Yes, I mean, if you want to," I said shyly, suddenly unsure of myself. He smiled and pulled me to him, kissing me. It was a chaste kiss, not hot and passionate like most of our kisses, but it had such meaning. I felt the love behind the kiss. He pulled away too soon.

"I have a present for you too, Cherry." I looked at him, in shock. I hadn't gotten him anything. In fact, we had agreed that we weren't going to exchange gifts. "Jaceeee…" I whined, but he silenced me with his finger. Before I knew what happened, he was on one knee and he had a box in his hand. The tears were already forming in my eyes. "Clarissa, I love you. You are the only girl I've ever loved besides my mom and Izzy. You complete me and make me a better person. I can't imagine living my life without you by my side. Please, please do me the honor of being my wife. Let me love you and care for you for the rest of your life." I was crying. He looked scared, like he thought I was going to say no. I laughed at the thought. "Jace, you're my best friend and my soul mate. I want to grow old with you, so yessss I will marry you!" I was screaming. We stood up and embraced. Out of nowhere, we heard clapping. Peeking out of the tree house, I saw our families standing there, smiling and clapping. Izzy was crying, as were Maryse and my mom. Simon, Alec, and Magnus where clapping and jumping up and down. Robert and my dad were smiling and talking nearby. Jace slid the ring onto my hand and helped me down the ladder to the grass below us. Izzy hugged me so hard I couldn't breathe. "Oh my goodness, Clary, we're gonna be sisters. I always wanted a sister. Can I see the ring? It's gorgeous! Did you know Jace picked it out all by himself. He even had it engraved. You're so lucky. I can't wait to plan your wedding!" She was so excited she couldn't think straight. "Izzy, please be my maid of honor," I yelled and she nodded, crying harder. I looked at the ring, sliding it off to see that it was engraved with "Best friends forever and always." I smiled at Jace and held his hand in mine. My life was a dream come true./p

Two months later, Jace and I finally finished decorating and moving into our home. It was beautiful. It had historic details, like exposed beams, brick, and huge bay windows. But it was completely updated, with a brand new kitchen and bathrooms. Our master bedroom was all white with one beautiful red accent wall. The furniture was white and there were red accents throughout. It was stunning and by far my favorite room. We set up the sun room as an office, with two desks and a huge bookcase. Our living room had a huge microfiber sofa, the kind that reclines and it was centered around the fireplace, which had a large flat screen TV hanging above it. This place was home. It was perfect. We even had a beautiful patio that we sat and drank our coffee on every morning. It was a perfect place. And we were finally starting the rest of our lives together. Together - forever and always.

**THE END. **

**I hope you all liked this story. I worked hard on it. Please continue to review. I plan on writing more stories in the future, so any tips or advice you have will also be helpful. Thanks! **


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